Ideal Life & Money Academy
by Mike Staunton & Jason Lam
What if you could start living your Ideal Life today, and have a plan to reach Financial Freedom years earlier?We believe everyone can live their Ideal Life. We've created this podcast to make reaching Financial Freedom easier and achievable for everyone.
Episodes
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Renting vs Buying - What's best for YOU?
✅ Is it ALWAYS a good idea to buy a home? 💠 I'm sure you've heard it. "Real Estate is the best investment", "You've got to buy a house", "Don't throw away your money renting" - and many more 💠 In this episode, Jason and Mike talk about the myths of renting and buying, when it may be appropriate...
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How to Know if You’re Actually Living Paycheck to Paycheck
✅ You've heard the phrase "Paycheck to Paycheck". It's been thrown around for a while but how do you know if you are living paycheck to paycheck? 💠 In this episode, Coaches Mike and Jason define Paycheck to Paycheck and help you understand if you are actually living in this situation or if you...
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How to deal with your aging parents' finances
✅ Getting old is tough enough. Don't leave the planning of your finances until it's too late! 💠 In this episode, Mike and Jason discuss some of the things to be aware of when preparing for health issues or end of life for your loved ones. 💠 Don't leave the financial planning until the end. If…
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The truth about budgeting banks don't want out
✅ Never take financial advice from bank commercials! @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Don't confuse budgeting with a bank alert for "low balance" 💠 Banks are in the business of loaning money 💠 Be aware of marketing traps 💠 Be...
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Perfect Money Habits Are Killing Your Progress
✅ Stop trying to be perfect with money 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 You will make mistakes, the key is to learn from it and not to do it again 💠 See it as it is, not worse, not better, but how it is 💠 Be sure to check...
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My credit score went from 800 to ZERO
✅ Credit is NOT Financial literacy 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Know what a credit is! 💠 Why do you want a credit score? 💠 Can a debit card do what a credit card does? 💠 Be sure to check out the ILMA Budgeting & Debt...
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15 Years Without Debt Payments, Here's What I Learned
✅ 15 years debt free and 9 years of travelling: Here's how I did it 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Your last day in debt starts today! 💠 What would life be life if you didn't have debt payments? 💠 Know where you are...
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The Real Reason Some People Escape the Rat Race (& Why Most Can't!)
✅ Do you have (or want) flexibility when it comes to your time and finances? 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 The best way to have flexibility is low expenses and being debt free! 💠 If you could choose to not work for 3...
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Your Last Decade Before Retirement—Don't Make These Mistakes
✅ Be sure to figure these things out before you retire! AND if you are retired, it's not too late to complete the check list. 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 How to have a plan once you decide to retire! 💠 Does this…
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Stop Letting Financial Experts Guilt You — Here's How to Spend Without Regret
✅ Do you find you have spending regrets? Does everyone else tell you how to handle your money? What if every spending decision didn't have to feel like guilt or sacrifice? In this episode, Jason breaks down the concept of opportunity cost — and why understanding it is actually the key to spending...
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Unexpected News? Here's Your Game Plan
✅ Have you ever received unexpected news that threw you off balance in your day? 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 #1 - see it as it really is! How bad is the situation? Did your spouse die? Lose a job? Or just lost your car...
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Your Complete Investing Roadmap | Roth or Traditional?
✅ Easy to follow investing steps to get started today!👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 NEVER invest in something you don't understand! 💠 Follow the 5 Steps of Financial Freedom 💠 Invest 10-20% of your income into future...
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Emergency Fund First or Pay Off Your House? Here's What Works
✅ Do you want to know what to do with their money AND in what order they should do things in?!?! 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Follow the 5 Steps to Financial Freedom! 💠 You will become debt free 💠 You will get a fully...
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My favorite word reduced my financial stress!
✅ My Favorite word is Anticipation, here's how it helps me reduce my financial problems... 💠 I'm a planner, I like knowing what to expect. Don't get me wrong though, there is a LOT that I either can't plan for, or don't want to plan for. We all need some kind of uncertainty in life to keep it...
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There is a difference between being lonely and being alone
✅ How do you fight loneliness? 💠 Loneliness is real for many people. But there is a difference between being lonely and being alone. But how do you know the difference and if you really are lonely, how do you fight it? 💠 In this video, I walk us through the difference and the sure way to combat...
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Why we are naturally bad with money
✅ It's not YOU, it's your THINKING! 💠 You and I are naturally bad with money because of the way we think. It's our narrative. We think about the negative things far more than any positive thing that happens 💠 So, my challenge for you is to create a Positive Financial Journal. It doesn't have to...
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2025 Year in Review (what I spent and what I saved)
✅ A year review is always worth the time! This is financial focus and you could do this in multiple areas of your life. 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Confirms if you spent more than you earned or not. Which did you do?…
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What's Stopping You From Your Ideal Life?
✅ You CAN live your Ideal Life! 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 You can choose to live your Ideal Life years (if not decades) sooner. 💠 Don't let fear be the factor that holds you back. 💠The money will come. Get creative...
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Are you embarrassed about your money management?
✅ Have you been embarrassed about your money management? If so, you're not alone! 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 It's scary. The numbers are real. Especially if you have a high income and a large amount of debt. 💠 It's...
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You Overspent On The Holidays...AGAIN!
✅ Overspending on Holidays! "Everyone" does it but you can be different. You CAN keep to your spending plan. 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Have a plan! Make changes. Having a budget. 💠 Get rid of credit cards and you...
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Multiple Streams of Income
✅ What if you could retire years earlier? - Create another source of income today! 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠Most people wait until they say they have enough money in their investments to support them in retirement.…
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Are you trying to impress people with your money?
✅ Stop Trying To Impress People - Live for your Ideal Life 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 💠 I'm a big fan of music, especially Musicals and while I was listening to some tunes lately, some lyrics about "impressing" people stuck out. In this video, I address the longing to impress people and how...
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Spending Money In The Right Order
✅ You'll never win with money if you don't follow the proper order of spending. That's just how life works. So, what's the secret? I call it "The 4 S's". 💠 We've worked with hundreds if not thousands of people who want to win with money, but very few of them start off knowing HOW to prioritize...
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Would you trade $300 for a potential $1 million?
✅ No, we aren't talking about gambling. We are talking about investing in YOURSELF!!! 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Be sure to check out the ILMA Investing Course to start investing years sooner: 👉...
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Are you tired of penny pinching? There's a better way
✅ So many people focus on saving a few cents at the gas pump, or a few dollars at the grocery store. I'm all for saving money, but this won't fix your problems with money. 💠 The secret to not having to worry about money isn't the few dollars you save, but it's about getting financially stable…
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What happens when you cut up a credit card?
✅ What happens when you cut up one or all of your credit cards? 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Coach Mike doesn't have a credit card and suggests you should cut all of yours up. 💠 Coach Jason views are slightly…
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4 Steps to Lasting Change
✅ Most people want change, but don't know how to create LASTING CHANGE There are 4 key steps to creating change in any area of your life 💠 1) Create a Clear & Compelling Vision 💠 2) Have a big enough "WHY" 💠 3) Create your M.A.P. (Massive Action Plan) 💠 4) Execute or Implement this plan If…
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Dollar Cost Averaging Pros & Cons
✅ Is it better to put money into investments in a lump sum, or over time? What about when you take money out in retirement? 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 DCA = Dollar Cost Averaging 💠 It is a great way to invest as you...
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2026 Tax Brackets explained - jumping tax brackets is NOT scary
✅ Are you afraid to make more money because of taxes? 👇👇 @IdealLifeMoneyAcademy 🙏🙏 Watch The Video & Don’t Forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, & Share 🧡 💠 Filing as a single person you will pay 10% on the first $12,400 you earn. 💠 You pay 12% on the money after $12,400, up to $50,400....
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Is your life falling apart because it's too full?
What to do if your life feels too full.... Decide what you want your life to look like. Is this 80 hours a week with the big pay check OR 40 hours a week with less money OR 20 hours a week with even less money? This comes down to knowing our 5 Steps to Financial Freedom! 1) Starter emergency fund...
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Investing while self employed
Can you invest into retirement while being self employed??? YES! In the US, you need to opt in to the retirement options. Example, IRA or 401(k) options. In Australia, the retirement plan is Superannuation. You can opt to not put money into Superannuation while being self employed. The three…
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Nobody wants to be told how to handle money
We don't like being told what to do. Even if it's correct. Especially when it comes to money. We want to guide you. We want to share what has worked for us and we know it will work for you as well. Being open to trying something new will change your life. This is true with it comes health…
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We haven't worked in weeks and our income hasn't gone down (being self employed)
It is possible! Money can still come in while self employed. Similar to being an employee and having paid time off (PTO), you can set up your life/business up to have income come in while you take time off. Coach Mike has set up $2,500/month to automatically move money from the business to…
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Renting a car without a credit card and frozen credit
Have you ever struggled or been scared that you can't rent a car with a debit card? AKA using a credit card only. Ever heard, it's impossible? Well, it's just not true. You CAN rent a car with a debit card. May need to show a return flight if renting from an airport. Lesson learned: plan ahead…
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Why you can't seem to save money, even if you earn over $100k per year!
Do you earn $50k/year? $100k/year? or even $500,000 per year!!!??? AND you still can't seem to get ahead. Feel like you make too much money to be broke.... It's all about mindset and your behaviour. Money is 20% head knowledge and 80% behaviour. Once you are in control of how you give, spend, and...
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Top 4 Investing Principles
Don't invest your money without these principles! This is a sneak peek at one of our lessons inside the ILMA Investing Course. If you are interested in saving and investing for your future, check out the course here: https://www.sentinelcoaching.com/investing Top 4 Principles: 1) NEVER invest in...
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How to Vacation or Holiday while getting out of debt or with little to no money?!?
Whether you take vacations or holidays, this is for you! Coach Mike & his wife (Elle) have been traveling for over 8 years. Started in a 4WD in Australia, then needed a break and headed to South East Asia (Vietnam specifically), and now in the US traveling around doing RV life. You can choose to...
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How to Start Investing as a Beginner (gaining confidence)
Investing can be scary. We've been there! Now we are confident when we invest and want to show you how to do the same. #1 Just start learning. Watching videos, reading, podcasts, etc. (about investing obvisiously) Mutual funds/ETF's are what we invest in. Now, all of our investments are inside...
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How to properly handle an inheritance
Many people waste the inheritance their parents or grandparents worked so hard to save for them. Don't be like most people. Honor those who handled money well and left you this gift! You've all heard stories about people getting inheritances and blowing it all at once, buying stuff they don't…
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Should you invest in Retirement or Non Retirement
Investing into retirement accounts vs non-retirement accounts? It depends. (AND it's never too late!) It's always tax beneficial to invest into retirement accounts before non-retirement accounts. Coach Mike has focused only on one at a time in his 20's. Leading to his net worth to be about 50% in...
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10 Wealth Principles of Investing
When it comes to investing (aka money) you will want to follow these 10 Principles: 1) Never give up control of your money 2) What you focus on grows 3) Choose investments that are powerful and stable 4) Consider taxation and inflation 5) Maximize the use of your assets 6) Diversify, but don't...
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How much is enough for FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)
F.I.R.E. = Financial Independence Retire Early How much is enough to stop working or to retire? What does your retirement look like? Travel? Live off grid? Sail the world? Stay with friends/family and having deep connections? Then, what does it cost? Reality is that is doesn't have to cost much....
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What would you really do if you won the lottery
Winning the lottery is everyone's dream. But for most, it's a nightmare - Here's why Whether you play the lottery or not, you've probably thought about - or dreamed about winning. What would you do with all of that money? What SHOULD you do with all that money? I recently saw an article that...
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What to do with a financial windfall
Ever received a financial windfall? What would you do with it? A bonus from work, sold something large, an inheritance, or winning the lottery are all financial windfalls. Have a system in place for your money because you will receive financial windfalls throughout your life! I believe you could...
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Don't Invest $50/mo, Invest $1000/mo! How we did it!
Do you want to invest $1,000/month? Yet you are only investing $50/month? These are the steps that are a must to get you to investing $1,000's. Deciding to never go back into debt AND pausing my investing of $50/month was the hardest and best thing Coach Mike did to get to investing $1,000/month!...
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Investing in a Volatile market
When the market is volatile, should you get in or wait it out? If you are a beginner investor, it can be quite scary to invest when the markets are volatile. How do you know if it will continue to drop or if it will rebound? What is the best way to invest when the news channels are telling us to...
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Waiting to Invest will cost you $$$ (Cost of waiting)
When it comes to investing, time is your friend. But on the flipside, time can also be your enemy. You see, the longer you wait to save for your future, the harder it will be to create the wealth to sustain your lifestyle. In this lesson, we walk you through the mathematics of what it would cost...
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What we mean when we say investing (and you should too!)
Dictionary.com = "expend money with the expectation of achieving a profit or material result by putting it into financial plans, shares, or property" #1 rule: NEVER invest in something you do not understand! Our definition of investing is for long-term. Long-term is 5 years or more. Anything…
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Negotiating in everyday life (including salary)
Just like negotiating with your career/salary, negotiating can be used in many other areas. Food is my favorite thing to negotiate on as I tend to shop at markets. When I am buying fresh fruit and veg, I ask if they "would take $10 for this box" of bananas or ask "how much does $5 get me?" Those...
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5 Easy Steps to Financial Freedom
5 Easy Steps to Financial Freedom Starter Emergency Fund (min $1,000 up to 1 month of income) Permanently pay off all debts except the mortgage Fully Funded Emergency Fund of 3-6 months of expenses Save/Invest 10-20% toward your future (retirement and/or bridge accounts) Pay off your house early...
About this show
What if you could start living your Ideal Life today, and have a plan to reach Financial Freedom years earlier?We believe everyone can live their Ideal Life. We've created this podcast to make reaching Financial Freedom easier and achievable for everyone.
Hosted by
Mike Staunton & Jason Lam
Categories